Reduce RM60 billion annual leakages instead to save money -- BOPIM

KOTA KINABALU - The statement by the communication and multimedia minister Ahmad Shabery Chik that saving from fuel subsidy reduction will enable the government to implement more development programmes for the benefit of the people is an insult to the peoeple of Sabah, said the Borneo's Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BOPIM).

Its president, Daniel John Jambun said in a statement that Shabery's seems to be unaware of the fact that to Sabahans his statement cuts into old wounds because of the state's very poor development allocations despite the fact that Sabah is an oil-producing state.

"This is another example of a federal leader failing to understand our grievances as Malaysians in Sabah," Jambun said. "Or they still pretend not to hear our cry for justice in terms of development allocations. The Peninsular's development allocation had always been many folds bigger than what were given to Sabah and Sarawak.

"And this has been going on despite Sabah's huge contribution with its oil to the federal coffers. Even the Minister of Rural Development, Datuk Radin Malleh last month has urged the federal government to provide more allocations for rural development in the state," he added.

Last month Radin, who is also a vice president of PBS, said that Sabah, being a big state, was still lacking in infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity supply especially in the interior areas.

Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Information Chief, Datuk Johnny Mositun, had also supported the call by Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd. Salleh Said Keruak’s contention that development funds and programs for Sabah should be increased and equitably distributed to benefit all communities in the state.

Jambun pointed out that the government's saving from this subsidy reduction amounts to only RM3.3 billion per annum but the heavy burden it is passing on to the lower income group is immeasurable.

"If the government is sincere about saving money, it should act firmly to stop the 30 percent wastages and leakages on the RM200 billion annual federal government procurement  that benefits only the few cronies," he said. "This 30 percent means RM60 billion per year, a huge amount and almost 20 times bigger than the saving on subsidy by increasing the oil price by 20 sen.

"The government should embark on this and other austerity drives and take action against those legal robbers who plunder the government resources.  The economic transformation that the BN government has been bragging about should start with good governance by eradicating rampant corruption among politicians and goverenment officials. Let's remember Mahathir said UMNO is corrupted from the core to the top and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has been making endless calls to take solid measures to fight corruption in Malaysia," Jambun said.

"There is no reason to burden the people of Sabah when we are an oil producing state. The Malaysia agreement did not say that Kuala Lumpur can burden or rob the people of Sabah as and when they like. I agree with Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan that Sabah and Sarawak should be exempted from oil prices increases," he added.